Airplane



March 3, 1931. w, w rr JR 1,794,811

AIRPLANE Filed 061 4, 1928 V INVENTOR I lV'Zlm/m/ Mat, J4;

Pa Mm ATTORN EYS Patented .Mar. 3, 1931 for' eB- NwoLDE GREAT NECK; YORK ephemer -1mm ouster- 4,

' the craft; as: for example: during; the -1aunch% ing into the air. bycatapulting. This padded rear part; of the cockpit, however, ofiersfthe disadvantage that it must be built: high enough to reach beyond-or tothe level of the head, and accordingly,, asordinari-ly cone structe-d and arranged, it isganimped'iment to the ingress anclegress ofthe pilot-from the-cockpit and tendsto-obstruct the rear View, Ready'i-ngress and egressandan um" v obstructed-view are particularlyimportant in military and naval craft; The object of the invention is airplane in-whicl i' the' padded or cushioned part Of'thticoclipifiwhile formed as arigid part thereof, isnevee tireless" capable of being readily swung'over laterally of the body or fuselage to a'point within the cockpit where after the craft is catapulted into the air it is entirely outlof the way and forms no impediment to "either o the egress from the craft or tothe-vision Afurther objectis aconstruction of this generalcharacter possessing the qualitiesof sim} plicity of construction, lightness .in weight I and ready and easy manipulation by-the pilot either during flight or'at'rest.

Fora better understanding of the; invenv tion' reference' may be had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein u Fig; 1- illustrates a perspective vieWQd-a part of a1 fusel a embodying the invention;

W l e W Ji ter GARDEN jcrrY, NEw' o-RK, ASSiGINO'H re onance-1M; vouien'rg .c

go cockpit of airplane I [Figa- 2"is' a transverse secondary View 1 through the cock-pit showing the particular manner" ofconstructi-ng and mounting the cushioning means thereupon; and.

=Fig. 3 isa Viewv taken at right angles Fig. 2.x

Referring to the drawings, have-illus-i tra ted m-y invention as' embodiedlinthe fuse; lage of an=a1rplane,ther frame of the fuselage including upper longrons'l, vertical; posts or membersQ and transversehorizontal momcbers-3-, these: parts being asforexample,- of

standard tubular form and defining a cock.- pit or 'pilots compartment inwhichisfdis poseda'seat 4 and the variouscontrol mocha ni-sms-, wh-ich need notice described since they may be ofeanyand usual construction. -'I he cushioning means against which the body is thrown duringfthe rapid acceleration of the craft uponbeing catapulted vinto the air, in;

stead of being built in to form an immovable 'part ofthe rear wall ofthe cockpit, is inthe form of a laterally movable and disappearing; device 5-,. the latter being'carried on the free end of, a support tube 6' which in the opera? tive positionprojects upwardly to support the device 5 substantially in line with the head of the pilot, this-support tube 6 having its free end' formed "into a forwardly projecting bend 7 to bring the device 5- into position to perform its function of receiving and cushioning the head of the pilot when the craft is catapulted The cushioning means 5-and its support tube 6 are rigidly carried ina'transverse;plane by means of the cross 7 tubular frame member '3' of the fuselage disposed 'at the rear of the cockpit, the'support tube (ibeihg attached thereto by the collar. 8 which is weldecljto the tubular frame member 3 and" is'provide'd with the upwardly projecting rigidlugs' 9 to form a fore and-aft piv= otalaxis 10 for the lower end ofthe support tube 6, the latter being, journaledn between clips 11 or jaws which form a part of a collar- 12,'welded also to the'cross tube 3 in spaced relation to the collar 8, the tubular support 6 having a. tubular arm 13 as a cooperating looking member projecting outwardly from adjacent the journaled end thereof in the plane of lateral movement, and being automatically engaged by the spring clips 11 when' the cushioning means is thrown to the opera- The locking member 13"a'p-" proxim'ates a right angular relation with the tive position.

tube support 6, making therewith slightly less than a right angle. The fuselage cowling is indicated diagrammatically at 14;, and

the arrangement is such that, the cushioning means 5 may be thrown over into the dot and dash position indicated in Fig. 2 entirely within the cockpit and without fouling any part of the fuselage, the engagement and disengagement between the arms 13 and the spring locking clips 11 being automatically effected by the manipulation of the spring cushioning means 5, andthus enabling the pilot to manipulate the spring cushioning means with great facility while either at rest orin the air; The cushioning means 5 may beof any suitable form and construction, but in the particular embodiment shown it comprises an annular former block1'5,.the disc 16,, a suitable covering 17, as for example of leather, and a cus'hioninghair material or the like 1'8,'the whole being secured to the forwardly bent part7 of the tubular support by means of screws 19 passing through the plate 7' which is welded to the tube part 7, and entering the former blocks 15.

As above indicated, a cockpit cushion of the character described, has marked advantages over the usual form of cockpit cushion. It canbe readily swung over laterally inplanes transverse to the fuselage to either disappear therewithin, or to assume'a substantially vertical or operative position. It is rigidly supported in the operative position and is of minimum weight and simple construction. In the swung over position it permits the ready ingress and egress of the pilot and leaves an unobstructed vision towards the rear, and it is entirely effective in preventing injury to the pilot upon rapid acceleration of the craft during the catapulting and other operations resulting in such acceleration.

I claim: I V

1. In an airplane a fuselage having a cockpit therein and a retractable cushioning means disposed in the cockpit, said'cushione ing means tending to obstruct the ingress and egress of the personnel while disposed in the operative position and means forreadily re thereon.

tracting the cushioning means to a non-obstructing position at the will of the personnel j 2. An airplane including a personnel compartment with cushioning means mounted firmly and unyieldingly in the fore and aft direction at the back of said compartment, but operable laterally to a retracted position within the compartment.

3. An airplane of the character set forthin claim 2'wherein the cushioning means is supported substantially in line with the head of thepilot.

4. An airplane of the character set forth in claim 2 wherein thecushioning means in one positionis mounted substantially in line with the pilots head and is supported in a position to be engaged by the pilots head upon the pilot and pivotally mounted on said frame for lateral movement'into a position out of line with the 'pilots head.

6, An airplane of the character set ried by; an elongated support which is pivotally mounted on'the frame at the rear of the compartment for lateral movement in the transverse plane.

i 7 An airplane of the'character set forth inclaim 5 wherein means are provided for lock ing'thecushijoning means in one position.

' 8. An 'airplaneof the character set forth forth in cla-1m5 wherein the cushioning means is car-' too in'claim 5 wherein means are provided for spring locking the laterally movable cushioning means in a position substantially in line with the pilots head.

9. In-an airplane, a framework defining a personnel compartment including a transverse frame member disposed at the rear of the compartment, an elongated support pivotally supported by said transverse frame member for movements in the plane of the member, said elongated support being bent forwardly and carrying cushioning means 10. An airplane of the character set forth in claim 9 including a seat suitably'supported withinthe compartment with the cushioning means projectingover the back thereof.

11. In an airplane of the character set forth in claim 9, wherein a snap spring catch is carried by the transverse frame member ice-locked in its operative position and is sup,- ported in a position to receive the head of the pilot. 7

14. In an airplane a fuselage having acockpit therein and a retractable cushioning means disposed in the cockpit, said cushion ing means tending to obstruct the ingress and egress of the personnel While disposed in the operative position and means for readily retracting the cushioning means to ,a non-obstructing position Within the confines of the cockpit at the willoof the personnel. v In testimony whereof, Ihave signed my name to this specification. r

' WILLIAM WAIT, JR} 

